Water Water Everywhere…For Now
With Tuesday’s rains as a backdrop, the Santa Barbara City Council heard how city water consumers used nearly 1,000 acre-feet more water than usual this year.
Author: Nick Welsh
Waging Peace at Vandenberg Air Force Base
Dennis Apel was sitting in Santa Barbara’s federal courtroom last Thursday morning with two of his coconspirators in crime, quietly sweating some of the possible, if unlikely, outcomes confronting them. The matter before the federal magistrate was strictly procedural-a two-month delay in their arraignment, which by any reckoning would seem a slam dunk.
New Cabrillo Sidewalk Moving Forward
After a lengthy debate pitting the historic grand plans drawn up years ago for Cabrillo Boulevard against the present-day operational needs of the artists and craftspeople who sell their wares every Sunday on Santa Barbara’s beachfront, members of the Santa Barbara City Council came down on the side of the historians, while seeking a few extra inches on behalf of the vendors.
Fallout from the Atomic Dog
SOMETHING PISSY THIS WAY COMES: Greka Oil has done it again. And again and again and again. At a time when oil companies like Chevron and BP are spending many millions to greenwash us into believing they can be environmentally caring and sharing, it’s good to have down-and-dirty operators like Greka keeping it real.
Pot Dispensaries Face City Rules, Federal Crackdown
As the operators of Santa Barbara’s remaining medical marijuana dispensaries braced themselves for possible federal raids, the ordinance committee of the Santa Barbara City Council met on Tuesday to grapple with how best to regulate the operation of such facilities-legal under state law but federally prohibited-throughout the city.
Nicky Shane’s Heavy Metal Harmonica Brings Help to the Santa Barbara Foodbank
If speed is the essence of heavy metal, then harmonica player Nicky Shane is the essential metalhead. In fact, he’s got a world record to prove it. Shane-who will be playing a benefit concert for the Santa Barbara Foodbank at SOhO on Tuesday, December 11-holds the record as the world’s fastest harmonica player, at least according to the people keeping score for Guinness.
The Dog that Ate the Cat that Ate the Rat
NOT SO FUNNY, MR. CLAUS: Although there are still 18 shopping days before Christmas, the overwhelming frontrunner in this year’s Scrooge Award contest is the Bridgehouse Homeless Shelter up the road in the fair city of Lompoc.
That Dog’s All Wet
The Poodle himself, Nick Welsh, reveals the real facts behind the News-Press’ lawsuit against The Independent.
Recovery Plan Envisions 4,150 Steelhead in S.Y. River
A federal plan to bring Southern California’s once-thriving steelhead population back from the brink of extinction has established the goal of having 4,150 adult steelhead running up and down the Santa Ynez River.
Serious Setback for Controversial Creekside Development
Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Thomas Anderle inserted a rather large fly into the ointment of developer Mark Lee and his plans to build 25 homes on the undeveloped stretch of land near Las Positas Creek known as Veronica Meadows.
